THEY were intended as a futuristic, zero-emission travel pod that would connect two of Cardiff’s most vibrant areas.

But the flagship Urban Light Transport (ULTra) taxi network has actually made its debut 130 miles away – after being adopted as the transport link of choice in one of the world’s busiest airports.

The ULTra – first mooted in 2002 as a hi-tech route between Cardiff Bay and the city centre – was unceremoniously axed, after a test track was built and millions of pounds spent testing a system that would have made Cardiff the first major city in the UK to bring in the system.

But now 21 low-energy, driverless pods – which started life as a Bristol University project – are being rolled out at Heathrow Airport to ferry people 3.8km between terminals.

The pods will carry half a million passengers travelling between the Terminal 5 business car park and the main terminal each year.

Martin Lowson, president of ULTra Global PRT, said the scheme had fallen in Cardiff because of EU competition laws.

He said: “What actually happened was that they got funding to put the system in the Cardiff Bay area, but couldn’t find a way to procure it because of rules from the EU which said we must have competition.

“But because there was no competitor it was not possible.

“It was because we were ahead of the world that it never happened in Cardiff. It would have been, formally, illegal.”

He added that the test track was to remain in Cardiff and the firm had no plans to move it, but that any return of the ULTra network to the table in Cardiff would be a “matter for Cardiff council”.

He said: “Our test track is still in Cardiff and always has been, and all the major testing and development done there was an important part of what we created – and we expect to carry on using it for the next generation. If Cardiff want to come back to us and say they want to bring it back, then we will of course sit down with them.”

A Cardiff council spokeswoman said the council promoted sustainable transport and continued to invest in sustainable transport options.

She added: “After evaluation, reaching the stage of procurement and tender, the Welsh Assembly Government withdrew their funding from the scheme in 2004.

“Due to lack of funding Cardiff council then withdrew from the Ultra scheme.”